Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM) has called off their nationwide demonstration involving public primary and secondary school teachers which was scheduled to start July 9 to force government to strat paying them salary arrears estimated at K1.7 billion.

Government said it has started processing the salary arrears which date back to 2010, ina about 18 districts as of Friday.

TUM president Willie Malimba and general secretary Charles Kumchenga said the teachers will mot proceed on the nationwide strike but that the strike has only be suspended as some teachers have not received the payment yet.

"We have only suspended the strike and we will be monitoring to ensure all teachers receive the arrears," said Kumchenga.

TUM said it is disappointed that government has failed to solve teachers' grievances which include: salary arrears, promotion of teachers and salary increment for teachers

"Once government sort out teachers' grievances and find long lasting solution to the problem, the strike will be called off permanently," TUM bosses said.

Kumchenga said the union has communicated to all teachers in the country the sustspension of the sit-in strike.

"Every teacher in government schools, both primary and secondary, is being advised to work normally"

On June 1 TUM wrote to the Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) to intervene and resolve the salary and leave grants issue amicably or risk a nationwide strike.

On June 18, TUM also wrote Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) and Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development expressing dissatisfaction with lack of progress on the issue..

Last year, teachers who constitute almost half of the 130 000 civil service workforce, staged a nationwide strike that paralysed learning in both primary and secondary schools after government delayed to pay them leave grants for 2016/17 financial year.